Lightning-arrester.



Patented Apr. 1914 4 SHEETS-BHEET l.

wanton il Horne? A. ALLENDORP.

LIGHTNING ARRESTER.

APPLICATION FILED 0G19, 1912.

Wbb/mono A. ALLENDORF.

LIGHTNING ARRESTER.

APPLICATION FILED 06T.

Patented Apr. 7, 1914.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

514 vente@ 53W I c @mio/Lulu,

A. ALLBNDORP.

LIGHTNING ARRESTBR.

APPLICATION FILED 00TA 9, 1912A Patented Apr. T, 1914 4 SHEETS-SHEBT 3.

A. Allendorf 7 @9i/tweeen w Ja A. ALLENDORF.

LIGHTNING ARRESTER.

APPLICATION FILED 00T. 9, 1912.

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AUGUSTUS ALLENDORF, or HARVARD, immers.

LIGHTNING-ARRESTER.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 7, 1914.

Application tiled October 9, 1912. Serial No. 724,867.

To all 'Lc/com itmoy concern. j

Be it known that I, AUGUSTUS ALLnNuonr, a citizenot the United States, residing at. Harvard, `in the county of McHenry and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lightning-Ar-` reste s, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompany- Ving drawings.-

This invention pertains to new and useful improvements in combined lightning arresters and cut outs for telephones and the primary object of the invention is to provide an eiiicient instrument of this character:

` which, when it receives attention will operate to protect the telephone or telegraph instrument to which it is connected from injury by currents of dangerous forces withoutv injury to itself` and which, when neglected, will, nevertheless, be equally eiiicient in protecting the telephone or other instrument without further injury to itself than the burning out of one or more inexpensive fuses which may be readily and automatically replaced.-

A further object of the present invention resides in a combined instrumento this character which, when the fuses have been burnt out, will automatically drop from the arrester and by 'again operating the switch a new fuse will be substituted therefor and at the same time carbons will be cleaned, ythereby automatically 'presenting the instru- 'ment again for use without the necessity of repairment.

The invention has for a-further.` object a. simple, durable and efficient construction of an apparatus of thischaracter, the parts .of' which may be cheaply manufactured7 readily assembled and installed, and which will require practically no attention to maintain in proper running order. And the invention also aims to generally improve this class of devices and to render them more useful and 5 commercially desirable.

o more fully With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists of the novel details of construction, combination, formation andarrangement of parts as will be hereinafter ed out-in the appended claims. Y

In the accompanying drawings has beei illustrated a simple and preferiedjorm .of the invention, itfbeing, howeverfu'nderstood that no limitation is necessarily made tothe described and particularly point 'vcourse may be had within the scope ot' the invention and without departing from the spirit or sacrificing the efficiency of the same. In the said drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical'section through the easing illustrating the instrument in elevation. Fig. 3 is transverse section te en on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. i on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section taken through the casing illustrating the instrument inelevation. Fig. 6 is a detail perspective View. Fig. 7 isa vertical transverse section on the line r7*? of Fi .0' 1. Fig. 8 is a vertical section embodya slightly modified means :for operating the instrument, and Fig. 9 is a'detail `'elevation or" the same.

Reference new being had "to the accom-` panying drawings wherein like and corre'- sponding parts' are designated by similar reference characters throughout theseveral vieu-s, the numeral 1- designates an inner can4 ing made of suitable insulating material being supported upon a bracket 2 and having a metal cover 3 therefor, whereby access may be gained to theinterior of the casing when desired. This casing is inclosed in an outer metal casing-4 being secured toA the outer wall of a building and having openings 5 formed therein to permit the circulation of air therethrough.

Journaled within suitable bearings 6 carried bv one wall of the inner casing'l, is a shaft 7 made of SuitableinsUIating material and extending through an opening 8 for-med' in one of the side walls of the casin. 1.

Keyed upon the shaft are a -pair of spced cylinders 9 and 10, respectively, each haning fornied'in its periphery .a pair of dialnetrically opposite recesses 11 and the recesses in one cylinder being in alinement with the recesses in the opposite cylinder for a purpose as`will be hereinafter more fully described.` Supported by means of brackets 12. are a pair of vertically extending slides or chutes 13 each terminating in a substantially semi-circular hood 14 which rests over the upper periphery of each of the cylinders 9 and 10, respectively. These chutes are for the Stora e of a plurality of heatv coils or fuses' 15 llbeing made by winding fine wire F ig. 4 is a slmilar section taken around brass tubes and soldered with the ordinary fuse solder, so that when a strong'y current passes through the same, it willmelt .the fuse solder, thereby permitting the coils to contract 'together for a purpose. which will vbe hereinafter-obvious. vThe inner Aface of each"of the cylinders 9 and 10 respec-V A tively, is provided with` suitable` conducting plates 16 which are connected to the line terminals, as will also be 'laterdescribed. Also carried by the shaft 7 and keyed thereupon are'a pair of spaced carbon blocks 17 which are in constant contact with the plates 16 and separated "from an intermediate ground carbon block 18 by means of suitable insulating plates 19. These insulating plates 19 are permanently fixed upon the base of the inner casing 1 and are provided with a pair of' diametrically opposite segmental openings 20 which are ada. ted to "register with the' carbon vblocks 17 W en the telephone Wires are in circuit with the line Wires. A circular ring 21 encircles the outer peripher o f the carbon block 18 being made of suitable conducting ,materiah such as brass, and having formed therein a plurality of notches 21', being preferably four in number. A- spring actuated pawl 22 is permanently secured to the rear wall of the inner casing 1 and is in constant 'contact with the said ring and-adapted to rest Within 4the said notches 21 to prevent the rotation of the shaft, -this spring actuated pawl being ofA suitable conducting material and is connected to a ground wire 23. The said shaft 7 is 'provided adjacent each end thereof with cylindrical bores 24 through which extend cirnected to a suitable contact 31 which is in constant engagement with the ring 27.

It is obvious from the foregoing that as the shaft is rotated, the cylinders 9 and 10 respectively will in turn also be rotated, and

-when the recesses 11 formed therein come in alinement with the chutes 13 fuses15 will obviously rest within each of the recesses and theouter face of each of the cylinders is provided with leaf springs 32 formed of suitable conducting material and the free ends thereof are adapted to rest upon one end vof each of the fuses to retain the same within the recesses 11. Suitable binding ,posts 33 are carried by the rear wall in the casing `1 and have extendingtherefrom spring Yontacts 34 which are adapted to rest upon the' .Said 'springs' 32 at intervals.` Connected to these binding posts 33 in the usual manner are the main line wires-35.

To providemeans for operating the shaft Y l7 from the exterior of the building, I vpermanently filxfupon the said shaft a-ratchet wheel 36 made' o f suitable insulating material. andA having notches 37V formed in the periphery thereo'fuand being preferably four in number,as shown. Freely mounted upon the said( shaft upon-'each side of. the ratchet wheel isa pair lof radially extending arms 38 which carry a spring actuated Apawl 39, be-

ing adapted to engage the notches 37 of the ratchet wheel. These arms 38 are provided with an extension 40 to which is connected a chain 41, or similar Hexible member, depending through an opening 42 formed Withinthe casing whereby the said arms may be oscillated, and this extension 40 is also connected to one end of a coil spring 43 having its opposite end secured to a bracket 44 fixed upon the inner face of one wall ofthe casing 7.

It will be seen from the foregoing Ythat pulling downwardly upon the chain 41 the arms 38 will be oscillatcd whereby the shaft, through the awl and ratchet, as before described, will be operated step by step. During the rotation of this shaft, the drums 9 and 10and also the carbonblocks will be rotated and upon a quarter rotation of the shaft,'or when the fuses contained within the l recesses 11 are at right angles to the base of the casing the connection between the main line Wires and the telephone wires will be c ut out, but upon another quarter turn of the shaft the fuses `contained within the recesses will be in circuit as `more clearly illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings. l/Vhen the fuses contained within the lower recesses 11`-'are in -circuit the recesses formed in the opposite sides 'of' the cylinders will be in alinement therein and be presented for use upon the next halfturn of the shaft. When the contact springs 34 rest upon the springs 32 carlos .with the chute so that a new fuse may rest ried by the said drums, the current will be tract in length, thereby releasing itself from the springs 32' and permitting the same to permitted to Pass through the said' Springs; the thl-Olgh the fuses carried within the' drop through the tapered openings 45 formed withmth base portion of the inner l 47 of the shaft T, as before described.

casing 1 and thereby opening the connection between the main line wires and the telephone wires. By rotating the shaft a quarter of a turn, the springs 32 will obviously be out of contact with the platinum contacts 3i thereby cutting off the connection between the phone wires and the main line wires. Should a current be passed through the main line wires strong enough to burn out the fuses, as before described, the shaft should be rotated until the new fuses, whichV rest kwithin the recesses formed in the opposite sides of the cylinders, are in/'circnit and by rotating said shaft the carbon 17 will be cleaned and the carbon dust will fall through the openings 45 of the inner casing.

From the foregoing I have illustrated whereby the instrument may be manually operated from the exterior of the building, but to provide means for operating the same in the interior of thc building, I provide a mechanism, as best illustrated in the modified form of the invention, as shown in Figs. S and 9 of the drawings. In this construction, I provide a similar instrument, as before described, but eliminate the pawl and ratchet attachment for rotating the shaft. Extending through the opening in the wall of the buildingis a tube 46 being made of suitable insulating material and adapted to be permanently connected to the reduced end A suitable dial 48 is secured, by means of set screws or the like to the inner wall of the building and has identification marks thereon to designate the position of the instrument. A switch button 49 is carried by the inner end of the tube 46 and has extending therefrom a pointer 50 which is adapted tol register with the identification marks to annunciate the position of the switch.

1. A device of the character described comprising a rotatable drum, fuses carried by said drum, means whereby said fuses will be automatically dropped from said drum when burnt outfand means for automatically replacing' the burnt out fuses upon rotation of said drum, as andlfor the purpose described.

'2. In a cut out and lightning arrest-er for telephones, comprising a rotatable shaft, drums carried thereby, fuses carried by said drums, means for supporting said fuses within said drums, line-terminals in circuit with said fuses, and means whereby said fuseswill be released when a strong current of electricity passes therethrough, substantially as described. p

3. A device of the character described comprising a rotatable shaft, drums carried Copies of this patent may be obtained for by said shaft, fuses carried by said drums, means whereby said fuses will be automatically dropped from said drums when burnt out, and means for rotating said shaft whereby the fuses will be brought into circuit.

4. A combined lightning arrester and eut out for telephones comprising a shaft, carbons carried by said shaft, means for insu-A lating the carbons from one another, drums carried by the shaft, means for feeding fuses to said drums, means carried by the drums for holding the fuses, and means for replacing the burnt ont fuses upon rotation of the drums, as and for the purpose described.

f5. combined lightning arrester and cut o'. t comprising a shaft, means for supporting the shaft, carbons carried by said shaft, drums carried by said shaft, conducting wires connected with the carbons, conducting wires connected with the drums, fuses carried by the drums for forming electrical connections between the drums and carbons, and means for replacing the burnt out fuses, as and for the purpose described.y

6. A device of the char cter described comprising a rotatable shaft, drums carried by said shaft, fuses yieldingly held within said drums, means for feeding said fuses to sa-id drums, telephone wires in'contact adjacent the opposite ends of said shaft, contacts carried by said drums, line wires connecting said contacts with said telephone wires, line wires eXteiiding into said casing, means for rotating said shaft whereby said line wires will be brought into circuit with said fuses, and means whereby the fuses when burnt out will be released from said drums.

7. In a combined lightning arrester and cut out for telephones, the combination of an insulated casing, of an insulated shaft jonrnaled therein, contact plates carried by said shaft, lneans for connecting said Contact plates with the telephone wires, drums carried by said shaft, the outer periphery of said drums having recesses formed therein and diamctrically opposite, means for delivering fuses to said recesses, and means for retaining fuses within said recesses, one end of Said fuses being inv contact with said plates, line wires extending within said casing, and means for intermittently operating said shaft whereby said line wires will be brought in circuit with the fuses, substantially as described. ,I

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence of'two witnesses.

AUGUSTUS ALLENDORF. y

iitnesses I i RICHARD P. PnALuN, M. F. VVMH.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, '.D. C. 

